Year over year, France’s total spending on imported products fell by -4.9% from $777.4 billion in 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, France uses the euro which appreciated by 0.02% against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. The modestly stronger European Union currency after 2020 made France’s imports paid for in weaker US dollars slightly more expensive when converted starting from the stronger euro.
Domestically, France’s inflation rate for average consumer prices increased by 2.313% in 2024 versus an average 5.662% for 2023.
France’s 5 most valuable imported products in 2024 include cars, crude oil, refined petroleum oils, petroleum gases, and medication mixes in dosage. Collectively, that leading subgroup represents nearly one-fifth (19.8%) of spending on all goods imported into France during 2024.
Taking a global perspective, French imports represent 3.1% of overall global imports which totaled an estimated $23.968 trillion in spending one year earlier during 2023. That percentages equals France’s 3.1% score for the prior year.
Best Suppliers for France’s Imported Products
The latest available country-specific data shows that 70.8% of products imported into France was supplied by exporters in: Germany (35.6% of France’s global total), mainland China (7.5%), United States of America (5.2%), Belgium (5.1%), Italy (4%), Spain (2.8%), Netherlands (2.7%), United Kingdom (2.2%), Switzerland (also 2.2%), Poland (1.8%), Türkiye (1.7%) and Czech Republic (1.3%).
Applying a continental lens, over three-fifths (61.5%) of France’s total imports by value in 2024 was purchased from fellow European countries. Trade partners in Asia satisfied 22.8% of import purchases by France while 8.8% worth originated from North America.
Note that 53.3% of France’s spending on imported products was collected by fellow members of the European Union, down from 58.7% for the prior year.
Another 5.2% was exported by African nations.
Tinier percentages came from Latin America (1.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.3%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given France’s population of 66.1 million people, its total $739.2 billion in 2024 imports translates to roughly $11,200 in yearly product demand from every person in the European Union nation. That per-capita average lags the $11,800 one year earlier in 2023.
France’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in France’s import purchases during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into France.
- Machinery including computers: US$89.8 billion (12.1% of total imports)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $88.1 billion (11.9%)
- Vehicles: $80.1 billion (10.8%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $66.1 billion (8.9%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $32.9 billion (4.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $26.6 billion (3.6%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $23.3 billion (3.2%)
- Organic chemicals: $13.7 billion (1.8%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $13.6 billion (1.8%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $13.3 billion (1.8%)
France’s top 10 import product categories generated about three-fifths (60.5%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
The sole grower among the listed top product categories was aircraft and spacecraft via a 6.2% advance.
Leading the decliners were France’s import spending on mineral fuels including oil (down -17.9% from 2023), pharmaceuticals (down -9.5%) and vehicles (down -8.5%).
France’s Best Machinery Imports
In 2024, French importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery-related products including computers.
- Turbo-jets: US$17.6 billion (up 17.1% from 2023)
- Computers, optical readers: $10.7 billion (up 7.1%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $3.9 billion (up 0.2%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $3.2 billion (up 0.1%)
- Printing machinery: $2.93 billion (down -0.8%)
- Machinery parts: $2.88 billion (down -13.1%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $2.8 billion (down -3.7%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $2.58 billion (down -8.2%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $2.56 billion (down -3.9%)
- Piston engine parts: $2.4 billion (down -4.7%)
Among these import subcategories, French purchases of turbo-jets (up 17.1%), computers including optical readers (up 7.1%) then taps, valves and similar appliances (up 0.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentages within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among French businesses and consumers.
France’s Best Mineral Fuels Imports
In 2024, French importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Crude oil: US$29.8 billion (down -4.4% from 2023)
- Processed petroleum oils: $27.5 billion (down -4%)
- Petroleum gases: $26.9 billion (down -33.9%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $1.2 billion (down -34.2%)
- Electrical energy: $892.2 million (down -70.6%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $655 million (up 7.8%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $408.1 million (up 9.3%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $311.1 million (down -6.8%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $121.2 million (up 18.9%)
- Peat: $95.3 million (up 6.6%)
Among these import subcategories, French purchases of petroleum jelly and mineral waxes (up 18.9%), coke or semi-coke (up 9.3%) then petroleum oil residues (up 7.8%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported fossil fuels-related products among French businesses and consumers.
France’s Best Vehicles Imports
In 2024, French importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$44.3 billion (down -4.1% from 2023)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $17.3 billion (down -12%)
- Trucks: $6.7 billion (down -17.4%)
- Tractors: $4.1 billion (down -27.2%)
- Motorcycles: $2.1 billion (down -8.7%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $1.4 billion (up 16.5%)
- Trailers: $1.3 billion (down -5.2%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $980.4 million (down -6.4%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $640.6 million (down -4.3%)
- Automobile bodies: $581.4 million (down -5%)
Among these import subcategories, French purchases of public-transport vehicles (up 16.5%) grew from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and percentages within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among French businesses and consumers.
France’s Best Electronics Imports
In 2024, French importers spent the most on the following subcategories of electrical products including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$12.5 billion (down -9.1% from 2023)
- Insulated wire/cable: $5.3 billion (down -4.8%)
- Electric storage batteries: $4.9 billion (up 11.5%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $4.2 billion (up 1.3%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $3.7 billion (down -5.0%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $3.5 billion (down -33.3%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $3.2 billion (up 6.4%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $2.8 billion (down -5.2%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $2.5 billion (down -0.4%)
- Electric motors, generators: $2.1 billion (down -5.5%)
Among these import subcategories, French purchases of electric storage batteries (up 11.5%), electric water heaters and hair dryers (up 6.4%) then electrical converters or power units (up 1.3%) grew from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentages within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among French businesses and consumers.
See also France’s Top Trading Partners, France’s Top 10 Exports and France’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on March 30, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 30, 2025
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on March 30, 2025
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Euro to US Dollar (monthly average 2024). Accessed on March 30, 2025